glitched | ✔️

f o r t y t h r e e

Amara POV

The extracting stopped instantly.

I floated slowly to the ground, my tired legs momentarily reenergized.
Actually, every part of me was filled with fresh energy.

I looked at the Machine.

It was smaller than I had expected, only about six feet tall and five feet in depth.
I stepped tentatively towards it, unable to resist admiring the artistry.

The thing had a beauty about it, each gear engraved with designs that shone with golden light.
My admiration of the thing was interrupted by a deep voice.
"Ah, Amara isn't it? Lafrance told me you might be coming."

I spun around, coming face to face with a tall broad shouldered man who had undeniably good looks.
His skin was cocoa butter brown, his hair dark, and his eyes were a shining amber.
He was clothed in a exquisitely tailored white suit with a golden cloak secured around his neck.

The Head of Humanity.

He smiled, reaching out a hand for me to shake, as if I would just place my hand in his like he was your average joe.

"By your silence and staring I can only assume I am correct in your identity. My name is Heinrich. Heinrich Gloryson, although I've never been particularly fond of my secondary name."

"I know who you are," I spoke lowly, letting lightning dance on my fingertips.

"Do you now?"

I stepped closer to him, knowing that my irises were probably glowing slightly.

"You are the man who drags people from their homes and families just because the little chips you implant in their brains happen to malfunction. You're the man who lets this despicable thing keep ticking away, taking more and more from the planet- even though you must know about the electricity surge coming."

Heinrich arched an eyebrow.
"Electricity surge? You're delusional."

I laughed shortly. "Don't tell me dear old Doctor Lafrance didn't tell you."

"Tell me what, girl?"

"His plan to dethrone you from your fancy-smancy seat of power and enslave the world under his rule, by making people trade their freedom for the very serum that flows through my veins and dances from my fingers, the one that will protect anyone who possesses it from the death-bringing shocks that will wipe out all of humanity.... the shock that will come from that machine."

"You're a liar." Heinrich scoffed. "Doctor Lafrance works for me."

I snorted, how stupid was this man?
"As much as I would like to stand here and argue for hours I'm afraid my time is running out."
I leapt forward, pressing my fingers to Heinrich's forehead.

His eyes widened with shock, his large form toppling to the ground.

I turned towards the machine, reaching out with my power, and simply feeling the device with my mind.
My breath stabilized, become slower and deeper as my focus sharpened.

There it was... a small opening in the machine's outer paneling.
I reached forward with the energy, letting it slide into the machine.

As soon as it made contact with the metal my hands began to shake, sweat breaking out over my forehead.
I began to direct the energy into the machine, as if flipping thousands of little switches.

It was like bathing in needles.

I pressed my lips together against the screams that threatened to rise, for my throat already hoarse.
My eyes had opened without my knowing, and it was like I wasn't even in control of my body anymore.

"How will I know how to shut the machine off?" I questioned Doctor Levine, my chin propped in my hands.

She ran a brush through my hair.
"Well... I'm not quite sure. It is my belief that the energy will know exactly where it is to go."

"Will it hurt?"

"It might, but you're tough. Remember what you say to yourself whenever things get hard?"

I nodded, smiling. "Hang in there tough girl."

Doctor Levine lightly booped my nose, smiling and laughing.
"That's right Amara. Hang in there."

I was wrenched from the memories by the sound of a gunshot.

I felt the force of the impact on my back, and it nearly pushed me over.
I turned my eyes to the doorway where Doctor Lafrance stood, a pistol in his hand.
"You're not ruining my plans," he growled, firing again.

The bullet flew towards my head, as if in slow motion.

A green tendril reached out and seemed to wrap around it, deflecting it back towards the dark haired man.
He jumped out of the way, firing again and again.

I felt like I was being torn in half as the tendrils worked to dismantle the machine while defending myself.

Eventually Doctor Lafrance's gun ran out of bullets.

"Enough!" He roared, drawing a knife and rushing towards me.
The electric green light attacked his body, but was absorbed by his suit.
He drew nearer and nearer towards me.

The Machine's gears had begun spinning faster and faster, the gold light turning red.
I needed to be fully focusing on it to dismantle it correctly.

I reached into the pouch at my side and pulled out my last ninja star.
I couldn't miss.

Doctor Lafrance drew closer, his blade cutting through the air, headed for my neck.

He was fast.
I was faster.

I threw the star and it embedded itself in his throat, sending blood spurting every which way.
I felt like puking as Doctor Lafrance's hands wrapped around his neck, blood spilling from the sides of his mouth.

He collapsed to the floor, only to expose the other form behind him.
Peter.

Peter wasn't paying attention to me, though. He ran to his father's side, collapsing to his knees.
"No. Father... get up."

I tuned him out, focusing once again on the machine.
It burned my body as golden light began attacking my forces of green energy.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

Something must have gone wrong while I was distracted with Doctor Lafrance.

The Machine's gears were spinning so fast I could feel waves of energy coming from them.

I was aware of Peter creeping up on me, ready to put a bullet through my head, but the Machine had other plans.

It let out a burst of bright golden light, sending both Peter and I flying backwards.

•••

Guys this book is almost done!
Already!
Ahh I can't believe it!!